Overview of Update Options

Article Number:04050

The development team constantly releases kintone updates with new features and enhancements. On the "Update Options" screen, you can select which update channel you want to receive the updates from and enable or disable some of the new features and enhancements.

This article provides details on the actions you can perform on the "Update Options" screen and the steps to configure the settings.

Selecting an update channel

There are two types of update channels: "Current Channel" and "Monthly Channel." Selecting an update channel allows you to select how you want your environment to receive updates.
No matter which channel you select, features selectable under the Preview Upcoming New Features and New Features in Development sections will not be applied to your kintone unless you enable them.
If you are using any programs and your provider has given you guidance on which channel to select, please take it into consideration when selecting an update channel.

The following describes the characteristics of each channel and the steps to change the channel selection.

Current Channel

  • This channel provides new features with precedence over Monthly Channel. The channel is likely to provide unscheduled feature updates in addition to the feature update at the product's scheduled monthly maintenance time.
    The channel allows you to get new features available in Monthly Channel plus early access to some more new features.
  • If you select Current Channel, the Disable new features by default option is not available.
    (1-b) Disable features by default (Defer updates) (Available only for Monthly Channel)
  • The latest information on new features that have been rolled out only in Current Channel is provided on the "Update Options" screen of kintone Administration or in the "All Updates" section of "Update Information" (only available in Japanese).
  • The screens relevant to new features available only in Current Channel may be partly displayed in English regardless of the display language settings.

Monthly Channel

Steps to change the update channel selection

The following describes the steps to change the update channel selection.

  1. Click the Settings icon (the gear-shaped icon) at the top of kintone, then select kintone Administration. Screenshot: How to access kintone Administration

  2. Click Update Options under Other.

  3. From the drop-down in the Select Update Channel section, select Current Channel or Monthly Channel.

  4. Click Save on the upper left side of the screen.

Enabling and disabling new features

Some of the new features can be enabled or disabled on the "Update Options" screen.
When new features are released, you may need to inform users about the features, update manuals, test or fix your plug-ins, assess the impact of the features, and more. Enabling or disabling new features on the "Update Options" screen allows you to secure some time for preparation and flexibly decide when and for how long you want to prepare for the feature release.

Specifically, the Update Options settings allow you to carry out the actions listed below. By default, all items in the settings are deselected.

(1) Disable some of the new features after their release
  If you select Monthly Channel, you will be given an option to disable newly released features by default.
(2) Preview some of the upcoming new features
(3) Try out some of the new features that are currently in development

Figure: Actions you can perform on the "Update Options" screen

Whether or not a new feature is made available to be tried in development, previewed before release, or disabled after release depends on the estimated impact of the feature's addition (e.g., how much it could affect user operations, administrator operations, and existing plug-ins and customization). For example, there are features such as the following:

  • Features that cannot be enabled nor disabled
  • Features that can be disabled only after their release
  • Features that can be enabled before their release and can also be disabled after their release
  • Features that can be enabled from the development phase

Figure: Various patterns of available actions ("enable" and "disable" actions)

Note that each feature has its own time limit on how long it can be enabled or disabled.

(1) Disabling newly released features

In the Disable New Features section on the "Update Options" screen, you can disable some of the newly released features. Disabling a feature here allows you to roll back the behavior and appearance of the product to the state before the feature was released.
The following are the two ways to disable newly released features.

Screenshot: The "Disable New Features" section

(1-a) Disable each feature separately at your desired time

If you want to disable each feature separately at your desired time, select the checkbox for the feature under Setting to Disable New Features in your own time.
This is beneficial in cases where, for example, you notice that a specific feature has an impact on the behavior of your plug-ins or app usage after the update is released. In such cases, you can temporarily disable the feature to assess the impact.

(1-b) Disable features by default (Defer updates) (Available only for Monthly Channel)

If you select Monthly Channel, the option to disable newly released features by default (defer updates) is available.

If you select the Disable new features by default checkbox, new features that can be disabled will be automatically disabled at their release.
This option removes the need to disable each new feature individually, and is useful when you want all new features to be disabled at the time of their release so you can apply them to your environment carefully.
Turning on this option gives you extra time to prepare for the updates. This is especially helpful, for example, if it is difficult for you to assess the impact every time an update is released or if you do not have enough time to frequently update your manuals.
One possible use case of this option is to turn it on to disable newly released features until you make necessary preparations and turn it off to enable the features when everything is ready.

Figure: Deferring updates

(2) Previewing upcoming new features

In the Preview Upcoming New Features section on the "Update Options" screen, you can enable some of the upcoming new features to preview them before their release.

Screenshot: The "Preview Upcoming New Features" section

This is beneficial in the following cases:

  • When you want to preview upcoming new features in an environment different from the live operating environment in order to verify in advance that plug-ins and customization work without problems
  • When you want to final check the impact of upcoming new features
  • When you want to get early access to new features

(3) Enabling new features in development

In the New Features in Development section on the "Update Options" screen, you can enable some of the new features that are currently in development to try them out.

Screenshot: The "New Features in Development" section

This is beneficial if you want to take a glance at the behavior of the new features that are currently in the development phase and consider the future usage of kintone.

You can provide feedback on new features in development via Help Us Improve kintone or the link on the "Update Options" screen.

Although the features you can enable in this section are tested in the same way as other released features, note the following:

  • The development of the features may be discontinued before their release.
  • The specifications of the features may drastically change at the time of their release.
  • Any changes you make to the settings relevant to the features may be changed at the time of their release.

Steps to enable or disable new features

The following are the steps to enable or disable new features.

  1. Click the Settings icon (the gear-shaped icon) at the top of kintone, then select kintone Administration. Screenshot: How to access kintone Administration

  2. Click Update Options under Other.

  3. Configure the following settings and click Save on the upper left side of the screen.

    • Disable New Features
      • Setting to Disable New Features:
        You can disable newly released features in this section. Select the checkboxes for the features you want to disable.
      • Option (Defer Updates):
        If you want to disable newly released features by default, select the checkbox in this section. This is displayed only when Monthly Channel is selected in the Select Update Channel section.
    • Disable New Features (Features available only in Current Channel):
      You can disable newly released features in this section. Select the checkboxes for the features you want to disable. This is displayed only when Current Channel is selected in the Select Update Channel section.
    • Preview Upcoming New Features:
      In this section, you can preview new features that will be released in future updates. Select the checkboxes for the features you want to preview.
    • New Features in Development:
      If you want to try any of the new features in development, select the checkboxes for the features.

To re-enable newly released features that you disabled, or disable features that you enabled so you could try them out, deselect the checkboxes for the features on the "Update Options" screen.